Kingdom Hearts: Maleficent's Story
by GAvillain
Summary: Empowered by the knowledge that Master Xehanort bestowed upon her, Maleficent sets out upon her own quest to rule all worlds. Takes place inbetween Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts. Rated T to be safe. *DISCONTINUED* Sorry.
1. Dark Encounter

Maleficent sat upon her immense throne in her castle, stroking her faithful raven, Diablo. It had nearly been a year since her encounter with the wielders of the Keyblade. The sorceress assumed that the plan that Master Xehanort had spoken of had failed. It was inevitable. After all, Xehanort was a feeble old man. What chance did he stand against warriors who had even been able to best the Mistress of All Evil?

The past year hadn't yielded very much excitement for Maleficent and she hadn't heard from her emissary, Pete, in months. Never the less, Maleficent was still as determined as ever to acquire the Princesses of Heart and use the darkness to rule all worlds. The only problem was that she didn't quite know where to start. The uncertainty infuriated her. Xehanort had shown her how to use the Corridors of Darkness to travel between worlds, but not a way to find and capture the princesses.

Just then, what appeared to be a shadow on the floor began to inch closer to Maleficent. The sorceress looked around too see what was casting the shadow but to no avail. At first, Maleficent assumed it to be an unversed but quickly dismissed the notion. The unversed didn't move like that and hadn't been seen in her world since the keyblade wielders departed. The shadow then began to rise from the floor into a three dimensional form that resembled an ant.

"What on earth?" Maleficent thought aloud.

Maleficent rose from her throne to get a better look at the creature. However, as she did, the shadow lunged at Maleficent with claws outstretched. Maleficent responded quickly by knocking the creature back with her lightning magic. The shadow fell back into the lower area of the throne room. The sorceress walked to the edge of her perch and looked down at the shadow. It was standing up and its antennae were vibrating at a break neck pace.

_You are the strongest. I will obey you._

Maleficent was puzzled by this sensation. These words weren't spoken or seen but were somehow felt within her heart.

"Are you talking to me?" Maleficent asked the creature.

The shadow's antennae began to vibrate again.

_Yes._

"Intriguing," Maleficent thought out loud.

_My kind and I are at your disposal._

"Your kind?" Maleficent asked, "Does that mean that there are more of you?"

_Yes._

"Tell me then," Maleficent proceeded, "what is your kind's purpose here?"

_To collect hearts and find the keyhole._

The keyhole? Xehanort had mentioned these keyholes. He said that when unlocked, they would plunge the world into darkness. These keyholes sparked Maleficent's interest, especially one that Xehanort called the Final Keyhole. But where could this world's keyhole be?

"Well!" Maleficent exclaimed, "It seems that we have a common goal. Where are the rest of your kind?"

_Seeking hearts._

"Can you call them here?"

_No. But you can._

"How?"

_Use the powers of darkness._

Maleficent reached into her heart and called upon the darkness within her. She then concentrated on more shadows appearing. And, as if by magic, one by one more shadows appeared throughout her throne room.

"Marvelous!"

_You are the strongest. We obey you._

"Then go forth, my army, swarm Stefan's castle and retrieve for me Princess Aurora. You will know it is her because her heart does not contain the slightest drop of darkness. Now go!"

The shadows obeyed and slinked off into the darkness. Everything was falling perfectly into place. Where Maleficent had been uncertain for the past year, she now had the perfect vessel. These shadows would act as excellent foot soldiers in her grand scheme. Master Xehanort had been a fool to empower her with information. She would become the ruler of all worlds while he would remain an old fool who's plan never made it past square one. The sorceress smiled at the notion.

"Come, my pet," Maleficent said to her raven, "Let us go and get better a view of my ultimate triumph."


	2. One Down

In a flurry of green flames, Maleficent appeared on the bridge leading into Stefan's castle. She heard screams echoing from the castle and smiled in delight. Her shadows were making quick work of Stefan's court. Maleficent proceeded up the bridge and looked into the audience chamber. The sight before her was almost too good to be true. All the people she despised the most were collapsing on the floor, their hearts flying in midair towards one of her shadows, and the bodies fading away in darkness.

"It would seem that those foolish fairies were right," Maleficent said the herself, smiling evilly, "Dreams DO come true!"

The carnage before her was glorious. Her only concern was Aurora. What was keeping the shadows? Surely they hadn't consumed her heart as well. Not after she specifically told them to bring Aurora to her. Her concerns were soon alleviated when several shadows carrying the form of Aurora walked out to the bridge. Aurora was kicking and screaming and trying to get away desperately, but to no avail.

"Princess Aurora, I presume?" Maleficent asked smugly, knowing quite well who Aurora was.

"Who-Who are you?" Aurora asked through tears.

"I'm offended," Maleficent responded, "How could you not know the one that cursed you at birth?"

"Maleficent?" Aurora asked in shock, having never personally encountered the sorceress before.

"Yes my child," Maleficent replied with a smirk.

"Then... then you are the cause of this travesty?"

"Partially. Though I can't take all of the credit. My friends here did most of the work."

_We have brought Princess. Where is keyhole?_the shadows asked Maleficent.

"You still have not found it?" Maleficent asked legitimately surprised, "I was certain that it was within the castle."

The shadows continue to stare blankly at Maleficent.

"Ah, but wait," Maleficent added, coming to a realization, "In Aurora's chamber, in the secret room beyond the fireplace. I thought I sensed something of power when I was there last. Perhaps the keyhole you seek is there."

The shadows dropped Aurora and scurried back into the castle to follow Maleficent's instructions.

"You'll never get away with this!" Aurora shouted.

"On the contrary," Maleficent smirked, "soon all worlds will fall at my hands and I will rule the dark kingdoms that are left behind."

"Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather told me about Ven and Aqua," Aurora replied, "They will stop you! They did it once and they can do it again."

Aurora had quite clearly hit a nerve as Maleficent's normally cool demeanor was replaced by an angry scowl. Those blasted keyblade wielders would be a problem. She would have to keep her eyes open for them. But surely not even the wielders of the keyblade could stand against the darkness waiting beyond the Final keyhole. Maleficent turned her attention back to Aurora. Her staff shined with green flames.

"All who dare my command to break, from this sleep shall never wake!" Maleficent chanted.

A green glow over came Aurora and disappeared as quickly as it had came. Aurora suddenly felt very tired and longed to rest. She closed her eyes and fell to the ground in a deep slumber. Maleficent waved her staff and soon the princess was floating sound asleep in what appeared to be a coffin made of purple energy.

"One princess down," Maleficent said to herself, "Six to go."

A loud unlocking sound caught Maleficent's attention. She looked up to see an immense storm materializing over the entire kingdom.

"The shadows have found the keyhole," Maleficent said to the sleeping Aurora, "And now comes the spread of darkness. This world is lost and we must depart."

Maleficent waved her hand and a corridor of darkness appeared before her. The sorceress stepped into the purple and black portal and Aurora's coffin levitated itself in after her.


	3. Mechanisms of Chaos

The Corridor of Darkness materialized in what appeared to be a hallway. The floor was checkered in shades of an eggplant purple. The molding on the walls had a dentil pattern and was coated in gold. The walls themselves were colored a dark purple and gave a feel of royalty. On the far side of the hallway, a strange emblem of a thorned heart was embroided onto a tapestry. The lighting was dark and made what might have once been an elegant hallway, look old and uninviting.

Maleficent stepped through the portal with the coffin containing Aurora following behind her. She scanned the unfamiliar area. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the tapestry and her mind raced trying to uncover the purpose of the emblem. Maleficent eventually concluded that it must be a family crest of whoever lived in this structure.

Maleficent noticed a bizarre door on the left hand wall. She walked up to it. The door was painted blue and outlined in silver. However, it had no handle. The sorceress walked toward the door to get a better look but as she was upon the door, it slid open on its own as if by magic. Maleficent proceeded through the doorway into what appeared to be a laboratory. Upon entering, fluorescent lights overhead popped on.

Inside, there was a large mechanical device that looked almost like a fountain that one would see in court yards. On the inside rim of the machine, sat seven pods with a heart shaped window on the front. At first Maleficent thought that these pods might be for the Princesses of Heart, but she soon realized that they were much too small for any human. The machine was connected by metal tubes to a large glass orb swirling with energy. There were three terminals on the machine and Maleficent approached one.

Inscribed at the top of the panel were the words: _Heartless Manufactory_

A thin layer of dust coated the terminal telling Maleficent that the lab had been abandoned but not for more than a month or two. Upon looking around the lab, Maleficent saw that it was a mess with papers scattered all over. Whoever had once used this lab had obviously left in a hurry. The only part of the room that was somewhat orderly was a small desk in the corner.

Maleficent walked up to it. On the surface of the wooden desk was a notebook. Maleficent picked it up and wiped a layer of dust off the notebook. On the cover were the words "Ansem's Report". The sorceress opened the book and began to read the reports. They told of king and his experiments with the darkness of the heart. Maleficent learned quite a bit about her shadowy allies, or, as the report called them, the Heartless. She also learned the purpose of the machine: to create artificial Heartless.

Maleficent knew that the information contained within this report was extremely valuable. She tucked the notebook into her cloak and turned her attention back to the machine. After searching through the papers on the ground, Maleficent found one with notes on how to work the machine. She followed the instructions carefully, and, inside the coffin facing closest to her, a Heartless materialized. The only thing odd was that this Heartless wore a metallic helmet and a blue jumpsuit with that strange emblem on its chest.

Ansem had mentioned that he had marked the artificial Heartless with an emblem in his report. Maleficent now understood what the thorned heart symbol on the tapestry was. It wasn't a crest at all, but, rather, marked the lab as a Heartless manufactory.

This was perfect! Maleficent could, with this machine, mass produce an army of Heartless and use them to aid her in her plans. However, a sickening thought suddenly occurred to her. What if Ansem was still out there and seeking the Princesses of Heart and the Final Keyhole as well? He certainly possessed greater knowledge on the subject than she did. Maleficent quickly reassured herself that she had the advantage. After all, she already had one of the princesses, the loyalty of the Heartless, and Ansem's lab and notes in her possession. Any advantage that Ansem might have had was surely non-existent now.

Maleficent set the machine to mass produce the Heartless, seven at a time, one for each pod. Soon the room was full of these artificial Heartless. Maleficent waved her hand and the machine shut off.

"Yes," Maleficent said to her new subjects, "You shall do quite nicely."

_We obey you. _The artificial Heartless responded.

These Heartless looked even more vicious than the shadows that Maleficent had first encountered. The armored helmets that they wore remind Maleficent of soldiers. Yes. _Soldiers. _That was what she would call them.

"Now, my soldiers," Maleficent said addressing the Heartless, "I want you to proceed on through this world. I am claiming it to be my base of operations. If you find any source of life, tell me immediately."

_Yes my liege. _They responded and disappeared into orbs of darkness.

"Teleportation," Maleficent observed thoughtfully, "Ansem must have gone to considerable trouble to customize these creatures. I shall have to keep this laboratory in my possession. After all, if Ansem was able to create those Heartless, imagine the kinds of Heartless that I could produce."

Maleficent exited the lab and used her magic to seal it off. She walked over to the coffin holding Aurora.

"Soon, Aurora, very soon your role in this will be as clear as a crystal."


	4. A Fool's Errand

Over the past few days, Maleficent had explored this bizarre world that she arrived in. She had learned that this world was a castle. Deserted and empty, this castle was all that remained of a world that had fallen to darkness. Not a heart or soul dwelled among this palace's halls. None, save for Maleficent herself.

The castle was a well built fortress constructed around a maze of lifts and spirals. The entire castle was a series of puzzles. The complex nature of these puzzles gave Maleficent comfort in her belief that no one would be able to attack her, because no one would be able to solve the puzzles and advance through the castle.

The top room of the castle was a beautiful chapel. Maleficent decided that the chapel would be the perfect place to hold meetings with the allies that Pete was recruiting for her. The simple irony of such wicked schemes forming in a room designed as a place of worship was too delicious for Maleficent to pass up. Using her magic powers, Maleficent redecorated the chapel with a thorn pattern on the floor and torches burning with green fire.

In the center of the room, Maleficent put a small table to act as a conference table for her new associates. The anticipation was almost unbearable. Today, Pete was set to arrive with the villains that he had spent nearly a year tracking down. Together, they would rule all worlds.

Maleficent smiled at the notion and stepped out onto the balcony in the High Tower. She looked out at the endless sea of clouds. Despite the Heartless having destroyed this world, the castle and the scenery retained a dignified beauty that Maleficent doubted that even she could do away with.

"Maleficent! Maleficent!" Pete shouted as he ran out on to the balcony.

"Is the council here?" Maleficent asked him.

"Yes ma'am," Pete nodded, "They're all inside waiting."

"Excellent," Maleficent smirked as she walked back into the chapel.

Standing around the table was a bald man in a butler's outfit, a plump red headed cowboy, a mermaid with a purple tail and purple hair that was obviously a wig, and an an anthropomorphic lion dressed in regal robes and a crown much too big for him.

"If I may present," Pete said to Maleficent, "Edgar, Alameda Slim, Marina Del Ray, and Prince John. And folks, this here's our lovely and wicked leader, Maleficent!"

The four villains muttered a greeting. Maleficent walked over to the table.

"Now, before I address the subject at hand," Maleficent began, "First, I would like to hear what it is that you four want."

"Well," Edgar spoke up first, "I've been working for this one woman for over fifty years and in her will, she left her entire fortune to her CATS! CATS! I want those blasted felines out of the picture!"

"Oh, please!" Alameda Slim said, "You're pathetic!"

"Oh, and what do you do?" Edgar snapped in reply.

"Why I'm the greatest cattle rustler in the whole wild west!" Slim boasted, "Why all I gotta do to rustle up those bovines is to Yodel-Adle-Eedle-Idle-Oo."

"Puh-lease!" Marina interjected, "Both of you are pathetic! Yodling? Seriously? Well, Maleficent, to answer your question, I want to get rid of my boss and get his job. The guy's a real crab... literally!"

"Pfft, cats, cows, and crabs," Prince John chuckled, "What next?"

Marina scowled at Prince John.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to be curteous to ladies?" Marina asked angrily.

"GAH! Mommy!" Prince John shouted and then began to suck his thumb and twiddle with his ear.

The other villains just stared on akwardly. Meanwhile, Maleficent's fury was reaching its boiling point.

"THAT'S IT!" Maleficent shouted, "GET OUT, YOU FOOLS!"

Maleficent then began to fire bolts of purple lightning at the four. All four of them quickly scurried into a corridor of darkness and disappeared. Maleficent scoffed in frustration.

"They're hopeless!" Maleficent shouted at Pete, "A disgrace to the forces of evil! I give you a whole year to put together a team and THIS is the best you could do?"

Pete was up against the wall in utter terror.

"Uh, yes. I mean, uh, no! I mean... just... oh please give me another chance!" Pete grovelled.

"And why, pray tell, should I do that?" Maleficent asked, raising her staff to deliver a special lightning bolt for Pete.

"There's um... there's this place," Pete explained, "It's some kind of factory, see? And it's filled with doors to other worlds!"

Maleficent put down her staff.

"Doors to other worlds?" Maleficent asked, moderately intrigued.

Pete, realizing that his butt was saved, continued on, "Oh yeah. They've got lots of 'em! Doors, that is."

"And where is this factory," Maleficent inquired.

"It's in a world called Monstropolis," Pete replied, "A world filled with monsters!"

"Take me there!" Maleficent demanded, "And if you are lying, then, mark my words, it'll be the last lie you ever tell!"


End file.
